Trust Issues
by Leni Ircam
Summary: Catherine and Danny are keeping a secret from Steve. Steve becomes suspicious, but is he jumping to the wrong conclusion? Will his trust issues get in the way of his friendships or are his instincts correct? Mostly Steve, Catherine and Danny, but Rachel and Grace make an appearance in a later chapter.
1. Chapter 1

**This one has been in my mind for a while but I had a hard time getting it on paper. I hope you like it.**

**Catherine and Danny are keeping a secret from Steve. Steve becomes suspicious, but is he jumping to the wrong conclusion? Will his trust issues get in the way of his friendships or are his instincts correct?**

She made her way through the corridor of the five-0 offices, still dressed in her camouflage uniform, she reluctantly entered. Things have been different between her and Steve lately. Doris had without a doubt put a wedge between them. He had sworn that he has forgiven her and she believes he has. She knows he meant it, but she couldn't help but feel that the trust was gone. They have been through so much together and for the first time she realized how much she truly loved him. She knew the moment the words left her mouth, the moment his eyes glazed in resentment, the moment he asked her to leave; that was the moment her heart broke. She had made a promise, a promise she was convinced was to keep him safe, but it had all backfired on her. It had been months since she apologized and he has made a conscious effort to prove his feelings to her, but she could not help but feel that something had changed.

Putting her thoughts behind her, she casually took in the surroundings as she made her way towards Steve's office. The team was diligently working in their respective offices. Each were deeply involved in their work.

Chin stared at his desk top with a serious expression as he tapped the keyboard in frustration.

Kono held the phone to her ear as a smile erupted on her face. Her body language made it clear that this was not a professional call.

She walked passed Danny when he jumped from his seat and ran to greet her.

"Hey, Catherine, got a minute?" He asked as he looked around to see if anyone had noticed.

"Um, yeh, sure, what is it Danny?" Catherine was anxious to talk to Steve, but was also willing to make time for Danny

"Do you mind?" He opened his office door and gestured for her to enter and have a seat "I need a favor" He asked reluctantly

"Of course, why should you be any different" she replied sarcastically

I wouldn't ask if it wasn't important" Danny responded

"That's what he says" she mumbled under her breath

"What?" Danny asked unable to hear her response

"What's the favor Danny" Catherine asked with slight annoyance

Danny continued to explain his dilemma as Catherine smiled and laughed. Steve watched the exchange from his office and wondered what Danny was saying to her that had her so amused. It had been a long time since he has seen her genuinely smile. He smiled as his eyes, caught hers.

"Steve's watching" she informed Danny

"Shit!, Catherine, don't tell him, please. He can't know about it until it's complete." Danny pleaded

"I don't know, Danny. I don't exactly have a good track record with him and secrets. If he finds out that I am keeping another secret from him, I don't think he'll forgive me or ever trust me again" Catherine's tone suddenly went from light to very serious

Danny continued to insist "Please. He won't find out and it will be worth it in the end, we can't do this without you, please? Besides, it's not exactly espionage"

"Fine, I'll do this for Grace, but if things go south on this, it's on you" Catherine suddenly felt the pit of her stomach react as Steve approached with a wide grin on his face.

"Hey" he greeted her with a kiss and asked "What's so funny?"

"Nothing" Danny nervously answered before Catherine had a chance to reply. "I was just telling her about something Grace did"

"Care to share?" Steve stood with his arms crossed. He knew Danny was lying

"Guys! We caught a case" interrupted Chin as he and Kono walked passed and made their way towards the smart table.

"Sorry, what did you come here for?" He asked Catherine

"I wanted to know if you wanted to come over for dinner tonight, but I guess I just got my answer" she pursed her lips in disappointment

He leaned into her and gave her a short peck on the lips "Maybe tomorrow" he stated

"I have plans tomorrow" she answered as she glared at Danny

Danny got up from his chair and grabbing Steve's arm, escorted him out the door "Chin and Kono are waiting"

Releasing Danny's grip, and turning to face her, he asked accusingly. "Plans? What kind of plans?"

"What, I can't make plans that don't include you?" she squinted. Part of her liked the idea of him being jealous, but another part of her was upset that he didn't trust her.

Danny started to panic as he could see the tension between them build "Hey, partner, we gotta go"

"yeh, ok" Steve replied as he gave Catherine one last look and proceeded to the smart table.

Catherine slumped into the chair in Danny's office as thoughts ran through her mind. "Why do I have a feeling this is going to backfire?" she asked herself.

**What could Danny possible need her help with?** **Do you think Catherine is right? Will this backfire or will Steve figure it all out?**


	2. Chapter 2

**Thank you for all the follows and reviews. Some of you think you have this all figured out, but you are WRONG! Ha! I hope you enjoy and please keep the comments coming.**

**_2weeks later:_**

Steve pulled his truck up to the guard gate at Pearl Naval Command Center and rolled down his window.

"Commander McGarrett, it's nice to see you again sir, what brings you to Pearl?" The young officer greeted

"Good evening, Johnson, I am bringing lieutenant Rollins her dinner" He smiled as he lifted the takeout bag from the passenger seat.

"Oh, I am sorry, sir, Lieutenant Rollins left a half an hour ago" Johnson apologized

"Are you sure?" McGarrett questioned in confusion

"Her car is hard to miss, sir" Johnson smirked

Pausing for a moment Steve replied "Thank you, Johnson" he carefully back up and drove away.

Steve thought it was odd that Catherine had left the base. She had specifically told him that she was working late again tonight. That's three nights in a row.

Giving her the benefit of the doubt, he drove past her house. The house was dark and the driveway was empty. He continued and made his way home.

Entering his house he tossed his keys, the bag with the dinner on the table, and dropped on to the couch.

Hours had passed and Steve continued to sit in his living room, slumped on the couch, randomly changing the channels on his television. He had always lived a life of solitude and had never depended on anyone. The past few years have been different. Catherine had been there for him during the most difficult moments of his life. Danny has quickly become the brother he had never had. There was an unbreakable bond with these two people and that was making his feelings more difficult to understand. The past two weeks were wearing heavily on his mind.

Catherine had less and less time to spend with him. He could not help but feel as if the fight they had over Doris was the cause. He apologized for reacting before giving her a chance to explain. She apologized for not telling him sooner. He thought he had done everything right. He knew that up until that point, he had not been the best boyfriend; actually he was fully aware of how wrongly he had treated her. Danny, Chin and Kono, had made that very clear. He made a conscious effort to show her how he felt about her and was convinced that she loved him. Despite this, he felt that she was purposely keeping her distance and he had convinced himself that she was hiding something

Danny had been spending a great deal of time with Grace; understandably so. The custody battle between Danny and Rachel had taken a big toll on Danny and he was trying to make an effort to be the perfect father. Steve had been included in their special father daughter outings, but lately, they had neglected to invite him. He understood at first, the camping trip had been a traumatic event for Grace and the attempts on Doris, had made Steve dangerous to be around, but cutting him off completely was uncharacteristic of Danny.

As the evening progressed, Steve could not stop the random thoughts that were running in his mind. There was one that played on a continuous loop and it bothered him more each time.

He liked the fact that Catherine and Danny were getting along so well. The few times they were able to be all together, he had noticed a bond between the two. He had also noticed the conversations taking place between them when they thought no one was looking. A smile erupted on Danny's face each time they encountered each other. He didn't think anything suspicious about it, until he began putting together the pieces.

Each evening Catherine was working late or had other plans, coincidently matched with the evenings that Danny was also busy. Tonight was one of those evenings.

Steve couldn't take it anymore and he needed to find out if his suspicions were true. Immediately he picked up the phone and called HPD.

"This is commander McGarrett, I need a GPS track on a phone ASAP" He demanded as he proceeded to give the officer Catherine's phone number.

Moments later a text was received and to his dismay, his suspicions were correct. "She's at Danny's" he sighed as the pit of his stomach turned.

He stood for a moment in disbelief, he knew he was right, but hoped he was wrong. "How could they?" He dropped on the couch and covering his face, began to cry. The tears flowed uncontrollably, partially out of disappointment and partially from anger.

"These are the two people that mean more to me than anyone. More to me than my own mother. How could they?" He thought to himself over and over. "Why couldn't I be wrong just once?"

Trying desperately to ignore the jealousy that raptured inside him, he decided to give them one more chance of validating his trust. He picked up the phone that sat half hazard on the table and dialed Danny's number.

"Williams" Danny answered

"Hey, what's up? I was thinking we could go and get a few beers or something" Steve tried to act as non chalantly as possible

"uh…I'm sorry man but I've got Grace tonight, I told you that" Danny answered with hesitation

"Oh…I could come over and hang out with you guys" Steve replied

Danny paused trying to find a way to keep Steve away from the house "You know maybe another time. She has a friend with her and it's all girl stuff, you know how it is. I'll see you tomorrow at the office. Have a good night" Danny cut him off before the conversation could continue.

Steve stared at the phone in disbelief, as he rubbed his face and dialed Catherine's number.

"Well. Hello there Sailor" She answered

"Hey, do you want to catch dinner and a movie tonight?" Steve asked

"You mean like a date? Steve, I told you I was working late tonight" She responded sharply as she gave Danny a look

"Oh yeh, I thought maybe you had a change of plans" He tried to give her one last way out

"The Navy doesn't change their plans, sorry. Listen Steve I really need to go. Goodnight" She needed to end the call before her quilt got the better of her.

Steve slumped back into the couch and catching his breath to clear his head, he grabbed his keys and raced out the door.

"I need to see this for myself and end this once and for all" The door slammed behind him.


	3. Chapter 3

**Thank you so much for the comments and PM's. I am overwhelmed by the response. We are about to find out about what Catherine and Danny are up to. Some of you were way off and some of you were very close. Let's see who got it right. Please keep the reviews and comments coming...they make me happy. **

"Ok, so I managed to get some pictures. I got some from snooping around the house and these are from my father. I even managed to get some from Joe and Freddy's dad too. What do you think?" Catherine asked Danny and Grace

"These are amazing! You covered his entire career. These training pictures are very cool" Danny remarked

"Aunty Catherine? " Grace caught her attention

"Yes, dear" Catherine responded

"Did you know Uncle Steve when he was at the Academy?" Grace asked

"No, we met shortly after. Wasn't he handsome in his graduation picture?" Catherine smiled with pride

"He was and still is" Grace blushed "I can't wait to see him in your wedding pictures when you get married"

Catherine's eyes widened at the remark. She did not quite know how to react to Grace's revelation. Luckily for her, Danny noticed and interrupted "Grace, why don't you go and get us something to drink?"

"Ok" Grace skipped her way into the kitchen

"Thanks Danny. I wasn't sure how to answer that" Catherine bit the corner of her lip as she looked down.

"Hey, we all know it's going to happen eventually. It's just a matter of the two of you getting a grip on reality. " He joked but quickly realized she wasn't reacting "You guys are ok, right? I thought you worked it all out" Danny asked with concern

"We are fine. But…" Catherine turned her attention to the computer screen before her.

"But what?" Danny reached over and covered the screen with his hand, directing her attention to him.

"He's been distant. I don't think he trusts me anymore" Catherine responded

"He doesn't trust anyone, anymore. He has even been a little distant with me. I wouldn't worry about it." He smiled "So what other goodies did you bring?"

She laughed at his ability to change the subject from serious to light hearted at the drop of a hat.

"Oh I've got some great stuff and I have to say, between my Dad and Joe White, some great stories. Even I was impressed" Catherine added with pride as she removed a box from her bag.

"What's that?" questioned Grace as she reentered the room carrying a tray with the drinks

"These are Steve's medals" Catherine carefully opened the box and displayed them on the table.

"That's a lot of medals. More than I have with the Aloha girls" Grace remarked

"Isn't he going to miss those?" Danny suddenly was concerned

"Yes, Grace, these are a lot of medals and no Danny, he won't even know they are gone. I will replace them tomorrow, while he's at the office" Catherine smiled as she explained what each medal was for.

"I have to say, I had no idea" Danny was humbled

"Steve is a true hero. He doesn't like to talk about it, but he has achieved so much in his career with the navy and would have accomplished so much more if…" She paused "If he didn't have to leave"

The three stood in silence as they carefully looked at each. As Grace photographed each medal, Catherine made a point to return them to the box and to place them exactly as they were.

"Once I add these pictures, we will be done" Grace smiled "I can't wait to show everyone my project"

"Grace, what made you choose Steve for this?" Catherine asked out of curiosity "I mean, your Dad is a police detective and on the Governor's task force, and your grandfather is a firefighter, why not choose one of them?"

"We were not allowed to pick someone that we were related to and besides, Danno always tells me how Uncle Steve saves everyone and is keeping this island safe for me and my friends" Grace was proud

"That's a great reason" Catherine reached over and hugged Grace

"Hey, I am jealous! Do I get a hug too?" Danny joked as he approached and grabbed the two women rocking them back and forth. With a sudden bang, his leg hit the table and knocked over the tray with the juice. Danny's shirt was sprayed with pomegranate juice, but Catherine's dress was drenched in it.

Danny and Catherine erupted in laughter as Grace shouted "Oh no! You better take those off and wash it right away. Mommy says it you don't wash it immediately it will stain forever"

Danny immediately removed his shirt and walked to the kitchen where the washing machine stood in the corner "Catherine, why don't you go into the bedroom and change"

"Good idea, actually would you mind if I take a quick shower? Its all over my hair too" Catherine pulled at her hair

"Of course" Danny felt guilty "I am so sorry. If you want, you can see if you can find something in there to wear, while I wash the clothes. It's going to take a while" He turned to look at Grace "Maybe you can help her find something and show her where the towels are."

Catherine proceeded to Danny's bedroom and removed the wet dress as Grace handed her a shirt and a towel. "How's this, I think it's long enough, it looks like a dress" Grace commented.

"Yes, it's fine. Can you give this to Danny to wash?" She handed her the dress, as she proceeded to the bathroom and closed the door.

Grace handed Danny the dress and watched as he placed it and his shirt in the machine "Danno, thank you for helping with this project and can you tell Aunty Catherine thank you, too?"

Danny smiled as he hugged his daughter. The sounding of the car horn beeping outside caused Grace to rush to gather her things.

"We had fun tonight. Don't forget the project" He shouted as she grabbed the laptop and ran out the door.

Moments later Catherine emerged from the master bedroom, her hair wrapped in a towel and wearing one of Danny's dress shirts. "I hope this is ok? Grace chose it" She explained as she tugged on the shirt making it longer.

"It's fine. I feel really bad about your dress, I hope I didn't ruin it" Danny handed her a beer. "It should be clean in a few more minutes"

"I am sure it will be fine. Thank you" Catherine looked Danny directly in the eyes

"You're welcome, but why do I feel like you are not thanking me for the beer?" Danny returned the gaze

"I really enjoyed spending time with you and Grace and I have to admit the distraction was well timed" tears began to flow from her eyes.

Catherine was not the type of girl to cry at the drop of a hat, but the past few months have been extremely emotional for her and suddenly she could no longer contain her feelings

"Catherine, please don't cry. I know you and Steve are going through a rough patch but we both know he loves you. He just needs time." Danny felt slightly uncomfortable

"I don't know how much more time I could give him" She bowed her head and covered her face with her hands. "I am sorry, Danny. I didn't mean to have a breakdown in front of you." He approached and held her in his arms.

"Catherine, I wish I knew what to say to make you feel better, but Steve has issues and he is trying to work through them. Okay?" Danny gently wiped the tears from her eyes "Just give him a chance"

"I have given him a lot of chances. I guess looking at all his achievements in the Navy and putting everything in a timeline, made me realize that I have given him way too much of a chance. Danny, I have been with him through most of that and I still feel like we are strangers sometimes" She sat on the couch and folded her legs beneath her.

Danny sat down next to her and taking hold of her hand turned to face her "I can't sit here and pretend to know how you feel, but I know that I went through something similar with Rachel and sometimes having someone to talk to helps. I had my brother Matt, so if you want to talk, I am here for you"

"Yes, I would like that" she responded with a remorseful smile and continued to tell Danny about what was going through her mind and her heart.

Meanwhile Steve pulled up to Danny's house and took note of Catherine's car in the drive way. He parked across the street and paused before exiting the vehicle.

**Will Steve confront them? Will he give them the benefit of the doubt? Will he go all Navy SEAL on them? Will he drive away and not say a thing? Stay tuned...**


	4. Chapter 4

_**Thank you once again for the reviews and comments. Please keep them coming and please keep them respectful. (you do not have to agree, just be respectful) To those that sent a PM, I did try to respond to most, and I appreciate constructive critisizm and please note that some of those concerns will be addressed in future chapters. The story is complete, but sometimes a point is brought up that leads to a change or two; so your comments are important and can help guide the story.**_

_** To the one who was anonymous. This is a Steve and Catherine fic. I only write Steve and Catherine fics. It is clearly labled as a Steve and Catherine fic. Danny is highly present as a best friend to Steve, but JUST as a friend to Steve.** _

Steve stood at the front door to Danny's house. It was late and the house was dark. He could barely hear the sound of the muffled voices of his friends. He placed his hand on the door, preparing to knock, he stopped himself. He reached for the handle and slowly attempted to turn the knob. The door was locked. He paused, he turned and began to walk away but he stopped abruptly. The thought of what may be happening inside was causing his stomach to feel nauseous, yet he felt the impending desire to know what was happening. Suddenly he turned, he raised his foot, and kicked against the door; forcing it open.

Danny jumped with a startle and reached for his gun.

Catherine dodged behind the couch in a panic, since she was unarmed.

Steve stood in the doorway with his arms crossed at his chest and with an accusatory tone asked "What the hell is going on?"

"Damn it Steve, I almost shot you!" Danny shouted as he lowered his gun.

Catherine emerged from behind the couch "What are you doing? Why would you do that?"

"Why would I do that? How could you? I hoped I was wrong, but I knew it!" Steve shouted as he scanned their bodies and paced

Catherine tried to approach him "What are you talking about? Steve?" she reached out to touch him.

He backed away "I can't believe of all people….him? How could you?"

"What are you talking about?" Catherine and Danny replied in unison. They truly had no idea what had caused Steve to act so out of control.

"Don't play dumb with me. How long have the two of you been sleeping together?" He shouted

"Sleeping together?" Catherine laughed "You think I am sleeping with Danny?"

Danny took offense to Catherine's laughter "Why is that so funny?" he asked as he turned to look at her

"I am glad you find this so amusing. I find you both half naked and you are laughing " Steve was angry

"Steve, you must be crazy, there is a logical explanation" Danny responded with a smirk. He couldn't help but be amused at Steve's accusation.

Steve approached Danny and raised his hand. In one swift motion his fist made contact with Danny's chin. Danny tried to maintain his balance but inevitably found himself making contact with the wooden floor.

"Oh my God! Danny!" Catherine ran to Danny's side as blood emerged from his lip. She looked at Steve and shouted "What has gotten into you? How dare you? You have no idea what you have done!"

"What I have done? You were the only two people in my life that I could trust and you do this? I don't get it. I thought we had a future" he looked at Catherine." I thought you were my best friend" he looked at Danny. "I don't understand how the two of you could betray me like this!" Steve shouted in anger

"You have no idea what you are talking about. We did nothing to betray you and the fact that you don't trust us enough to believe it, is disgusting. How could you even think such a thing? You are letting your trust issues and your jealously blind you. There is nothing happening here, how dare you even suspect that we would do that. Now get out! Leave!" Catherine shouted back at him as she tended to Danny's injury.

Steve paused and watched the scene before him. Danny was bleeding on the floor, Catherine was angry, and the destruction he caused lay before him.

Coming to reality he shouted "No! You are not making this my fault. This is your fault! The two of you did this!" He turned and stormed his way out of the house.

Catherine took a deep breath and leaned back as she sat on the floor. "I knew it! I knew this was going to backfire somehow. What are we going to do now? He is never going to believe us."

"First we are going to the emergency room, because I think he broke my jaw" was all he could say before he cringed in pain.

Realizing that Danny was in severe pain she whispered "Of course, Danny, can you stand?" Catherine helped Danny to his feet and guided him to the chair. After finding a pair of sweat pants, she put them on and drove Danny to the emergency room.

**Hours later**

Catherine paced the waiting room of Queens's hospital waiting for someone to tell her about Danny's status. She was still wearing Danny's clothes. The sweatpants were now rolled up and the shirt was tied around her waist.

"Catherine!" Kono approached carrying a small duffle bag. "Here are the clothes you asked for. How's Danny?"

"He'll live; for now" Catherine replied "but I might kill him later, if someone else doesn't get to him first"

"Oh-kay, would you mind telling me what happened? Your message was very vague" Kono stood with her hands on her hips.

Catherine proceeded to tell Kono about Steve's outburst and the events that lead up to that. Kono couldn't help but laugh at the thought of Steve being jealous and jumping to the conclusion that Catherine and Danny would have an affair. "You and Danny? That is crazy! It is crazy right?"

"What? Of course, I would never." She cringed at the thought "Now that you are done laughing, what are we going to do?" Catherine asked "He will never believe me or Danny"

At that moment Danny emerged from the double doors with a bruise and a cut on his jaw. "Well, it's not broken" He exclaimed as he approached the two women.

"I am so sorry Danny, I have no idea what has gotten into him" Catherine reached over and carefully hugged him.

"Nice shiner" Kono pointed out

Catherine watched as Danny coddled his wound and had come to the revelation that it was over between her and Steve. She suddenly became very quiet and withdrawn. "He will never trust me again; he automatically assumed I was lying to him. He didn't even give me a chance to explain. I blew it this time. Why do I never listen to my instincts? I can't continue living like this." she whispered as she simply walked out the door.

Kono and Danny watched her leave. Kono began to go after her, when Danny grabbed her arm. "Let her go" Danny stated in a monotone voice "We need to fix this. I need to fix this. It's all my fault"

"There is only one way to solve this" Kono answered with confidence. She was sure she had the solution.

"Oh really? How do you plan on doing that?" Danny needed to hear what she had in mind

"You need to call in the big guns" Kono responded

"The big guns?" Danny questioned

Kono simply smiled as she reached for Danny's phone.

**_The Big Guns? What or who can that possibly be? Will they ever be able to convince Steve that nothing happened between them? Will Steve ever be able to trust them again? Thoughts..._**


	5. Chapter 5

**_Note: In Chapter 3 Grace leaves to go home, just before Steve confronts Catherine and Danny. I guess a few readers had missed that. I do apologize if I did not make that more clear. Sorry._**

**_Time to find out who the Big Guns are!_ **

Steve once again found himself sitting on the couch, feeling betrayed and alone. "I always end up alone" he thought to himself. "How could she, how could he?" The questions continued to circulate his mind as he played with the bottle top of the empty beer bottle on the table.

"This is all my fault. I have treated her so badly. It was a matter of time before someone else gave her the attention she deserved. But Danny? How could he? What happened to the bro code? Is he paying me back for always disagreeing with him? Have I been a bad friend to him?" He was feeling insecure, a feeling he hasn't felt since he was sent away as a teenager. Suddenly there was a knock at the door that brought him back to awareness.

"Rachel? Grace? What are you doing here?" Steve was surprised to see the two women standing at his door.

"Uncle Steve, I have something to show you" Grace nudged Steve from the doorway as she made her way inside the living room.

"I am sorry Steven, but she insisted and here we are. I hope we are not interrupting you" Rachel was apologetic as she had no idea why Grace felt this was so important.

Grace proceeded to clear the table and began to set up the laptop and poster.

"What is this? What is going on?" He was confused

Grace ignored Steve's questions as Rachel simply shrugged her shoulders. She began with her presentation. "This is the story of my hero "

"What's this?" Steve was confused

"This is a project that I have been working on. It's about you. I was going to surprise when you came to school for my open house, but Danno says that you need to see this now" Grace proceeded with her presentation

Rachel watched in awe as Grace proceeded with her presentation. She turned to look at Steve with pride. This was the first time she was seeing what her daughter had been working on so diligently. Steve had his face buried in his hands as he rubbed the temples of his forehead.

Rachel approached Steve and carefully placing her hand on his shoulder "Steven, I had no idea that you accomplished so much. I am very proud to know you as a friend. "

"Thank you Rachel" was all he said as he approached Grace.

"You did this? How did you get all this information? I mean, I am,Thank you, Grace." Steve was moved by the gesture and bent down to hug Grace.

"Aunty Catherine helped me alot. She spent all her free time with Danno and me putting this all together. We wanted it to be a surprise. Auntie Catherine said that you don't like surprises, but I think she had fun doing it. She…is… so… cool. We were very careful not to use classical information" Grace explained

"Classical? Oh, you mean Classified" Steve smiled at the misuse of the word "Yes, Cath is pretty good about that and I agree she is very cool" Steve began to realize what had been going on and that he had made a big mistake.

"We were having so much fun, but then I ruined everything" Grace bowed her head in shame.

Steve kneeled next to her and reached over, placing his hand on her chin. Slowly he raised her head to face his. "How did you ruin everything?" he asked

"I made Danno spill juice on Aunty Catherine's dress and it got ruined. It was my fault. I didn't put the tray in the right place and now you are mad at Aunty Catherine because she ruined her dress. I told her that if she washed it right away it would not stain, so she had to wear Danno's shirt and I think that made her sad." Grace was ashamed

Steve looked at Rachel and then looked at Grace "I am not mad Grace. And it's not your fault. I should never have been mad at Danny or Catherine. I guess I was just jealous of all the fun you guys were having"

" I am sorry Uncle Steve; we just really wanted to surprise you. It was all my idea" Grace felt guilty but did not understand the magnitude of what had happened

"Don't be sorry Grace, I could never be mad at you" Steve stood with a blank stare trying to contemplate his next move.

"Steven" Rachel interrupted his thought "I think I finally know what's going on here. I think you should go find them before it's too late" She reached and grabbed hold of his hand and moved away from where Grace was standing. "I know how important you and Daniel are to each other. I have not seen him so attached to a partner since Grace. What happened to her devastated him and it was difficult to allow himself to develop any kind of relationship with another partner. I do not want to see the friendship you have developed vanish over a misunderstanding."

Steve nodded in agreement "your right. I should have known that he would never do anything to hurt me. I never had anyone I could trust unconditionally. I thought I trusted Danny and Cath, but I guess I still have some trust issues"

Rachel continued "Yes, I have heard Daniel mention that quite often. I also know that you love Lieutenant Rollins very much and according to Daniel you may be in complete denial. Though you may not be aware, everyone around you is. She loves you. That is obvious and from the few times that I have met her, I can tell you that she is a wonderful person. Grace has become very attached to her." Rachel took a deep breath " Please Steven, don't make the same mistake Daniel and I made. Don't let her go" she reached over and guided him towards the door.

"Thanks Rachel" he placed a kiss on her cheek "Sometimes I wonder how Danny could let you go"

"That is another story for another time" Rachel's tone was filled with regret

"Well regardless, the two of you managed to raise a great kid" he commented as he ran out the door.

**_It seems that Steve has finally realized what a mistake he made. The question now is, will Danny and Catherine forgive him for acting so jealous and irrational?_**


	6. Chapter 6

_**Are you ready for a little Bromance? In a very plutonic, best buddy, kind of way.**_

Just as Steve was leaving his house, Danny's silver Camaro approached and blocked his truck from leaving. Steve got out just as Danny got out of his car. The two men met in between.

"Don't hurt me, I come in peace" Danny raised his hands in surrender

Pointing at Rachel's car, Steve replied "I am not going to hurt you. Grace and Rachel explained everything" he offered his hand

Danny reached and shook it "So how stupid do you feel?" He replied with a snide remark

"How lucky do you feel?" Steve responded sarcastically

Danny backed up and again raised his hands in surrender "I thought we were good"

"We are. I am sorry Danny, but in all fairness what was I supposed to think?" He tried to defend himself

"I don't know, but you were supposed to think that I would never do that to you" He leaned against the car "I thought you trusted me, man"

"I did. I do. But let's face it… you guys were sneaking around, and then I find you both half naked, in your house, late at night. What was I supposed to assume, that you were baking cookies?" Steve began to raise his voice

"Relax… I get it and I'm sorry. First of all I would never betray you like that. Besides, I don't think I could handle Ramboette, she too much like you and personally one of you in my life is one too many. Grace just wanted to surprise you. "

"Yeh, about that. You should have had Grace choose someone else" Steve demanded

"Are you kidding me?" Danny reacted "She insisted and I agreed with her. "You are her hero. As much as I don't like it, my daughter admires you"

"She shouldn't. I did some things that I am not proud of. Catherine knows that. She should have stopped this project" Steve replied

"She tried. Believe me she tried. Grace insisted and well, I insisted. I'm sorry, but you should be proud of what you achieved. I had no idea, Steve. People should know what you've accomplished, you are an American hero." Danny approached him

"It's not that simple and Cath know that. She should have never agreed to this" he relented

"You need to stop blaming her for this. Stop trying to find excuses why your relationship with her can't work. I just don't get why you can't accept the fact that you are in love with her. You guys are good together; accept it, besides this is my fault. If you are going to blame anyone, blame me. She was very careful about what she shared with us. I swear if I hear the word classified one more time" Danny began to rant

Steve interrupted "Ok, ok, I get it "I'm sorry Danny, how's the lip?" he asked with genuine concern.

"My lip is fine, but there is a beautiful Lieutenant with a broken heart that I am not sure you are going to be able to fix" Danny needed to point out the obvious.

"I'll apologize, she'll forgive me, we have history, she gets me" Steve was convinced that it would be easy.

"Babe, it's not going to be that easy this time. She was feeling insecure about your "thing" before you went into your jealous rage, I am afraid it's going to take a lot more than a simple I'm sorry" Danny quoted using his fingers.

"What now she is spilling her guts to you?" He suddenly grew concerned

"She needed to talk to someone. I told her you needed time, but I think maybe time has run out for you buddy" Danny placed his hand on Steve's shoulder

"What did she say?" Steve asked again, he needed to know

"You're right about the trust issues, she gets that. But she thinks that you've been complacent about your relationship. She thinks you really just take her for granted" Danny tried to explain

"I never took her for granted" Steve interrupted

"Yeh, you did, but that's not it. She says she didn't mind that at first, but since she's been stationed here, she feels more attached to you. She isn't sure that you feel the same. She feels like more of a possession than a girlfriend, like she has to always be available for you, but you are not always available for her "Danny paused

"Really, and?" Steve urged him to continue

"Is it true that you have never told her that you love her?" Danny questioned with a tone of disbelief

"She knows how I feel about her" Steve stated slightly embarrassed

"You are not listening to me, No, no she doesn't. I mean she thinks you do, but then you do something that puts doubt in her mind" Danny waited for a reaction

"You have no idea what you are talking about" Steve became defensive

"Hey, I'm just telling you what she told me. She says you're hot and cold with her. She loves you, but she's afraid she'll scare you off if she tells you and she cares about you too much to leave you. She said that there are times when you are together, that you almost completely ignore her. Then there are times when you can't keep your hands off of her and go off on anybody that so much as gives her a second look. She's confused and kind of fed up. Steve, you are going to lose her. And after what happened last night, I don't know man "Danny stared at Steve to gage his reaction

Steve was beginning to realize that his actions had not reflected his emotions. He did love her, how could she doubt that? "No! I'm not going to lose her Danny. Not after everything we've been through together. I owe her a lot. I can't" He swallowed the knot in his throat "Please move your car, I have to find her"

"Ok, but Steve…if you love her, like I am pretty sure you do, you have to tell her. What you and Lieutenant Rollins have is the real deal, man, try not to mess it up" Danny stated

Steve paused at the comment and suddenly felt his heart clench. He leaned against his truck and squeezed his eyes closed to stop the tears that began to well "You are the second person to say those exact words to me" His eyes watered

"It's true. Who was the first?" Danny questioned

"Freddy" Steve swallowed the lump in his throat "Freddy told me that the day he died. He used those exact words. That was the first time that I realized how I felt wasn't just in my head, it was when I realized that others could see it too. Freddy was the closest person in my life, he was like a brother. I never told him how I felt about her, but he could see it. I guess I lost track of how it was between us, with everything that happened from that moment on. My life changed that day and I almost let Cath get lost in the events. Somehow she always stuck with me. I am a fool. I do love her, I just didn't want to admit it" he wiped the tear that threatened to escape his eye

"Babe, the whole world can see it. You were the only one who didn't. It's not as scary as you think. It's ok to love someone" Danny backed away from him and got into the Camaro making room for Steve's truck to leave.

_**Will Catherine forgive as easily as Danny? Will Steve forgive Catherine as easily as he forgave Danny? Will Steve finally admit his feelings for her or will his trust issues still get in the way?**_


	7. Chapter 7

**_Here is the final chapter. Will Catherine and Steve reconcile?_**

**_Thank you so much to everyone who reviewed, commented, PM and followed. I appreciate everyone's support and I would not be doing this if it weren't for all of you. Keep a look out for a new fic coming soon, so if you are not already following me as an author, please do so. _**

He raced through the streets of Oahu. His destination was clear as his thoughts where now filled with guilt and remorse. "How could I have been so stupid?" He asked himself. "I should have known that neither of them would ever do that to me. I hope it's not too late"

She sat on the rocks and looked out onto the water. This was the second time she found herself in the same location. She pondered the same thoughts. "I should have told him." as the guilt encompassed her mind. She felt bad for not telling him about the project with Danny and Grace." I should have never agreed to do it. Even if he believes that nothing happened with Danny, he's going to be upset about his career being put on display; His life being put on display. He will never forgive me for lying to him, again. I am so stupid; I should have listened to my gut and not Danny. I just can't believe that he could even suspect that I would cheat on him. The fact that he thought I would, how could he?"

He parked the truck next to her car and sat in observation for a few minutes. "She's so beautiful" was all he could think as he observed her.

She wore her favorite denim shorts and a plaid shirt as her knees where clenched in her arms. Her long black hair frolicked in the breeze. She was rocking back and forth and he could see the glimmer of the tears on her face.

He approached with caution, trying desperately not to startle her. She acknowledged his presence only after he took a seat next to her.

"I'm sorry" He said as he looked directly into her eyes

"You should be" She responded curtly

"That's not fair. What was I supposed to think?" He raised his voice slightly and defensively

"Don't…" she paused trying to maintain her composure "I mean… I don't know, but you weren't supposed to think that we were…." She stopped herself.

"I'm sorry, I should have trusted you" He continued to glare into her eyes

She looked away "the thought should have never crossed your mind" she stood up to leave

"I'm sorry" He stood up and grabbed her arm stopping her from taking another step.

She looked at his hand on her arm "Let go. You don't trust me"

"You were lying to me" He insisted

"I did it for Grace!" She shouted

"You should have said no. You know how I feel about my time in the Navy!" he shouted back at her

"Yeh, I do, but we are all proud of you. That little girl admires you and she wanted to honor you. I kept the information as general as possible. I did my best to respect your wishes, but you deserve this" she was choking on her words.

"Cath" he approached her as he saw the despair on her face

"No, Steve, I have always had your back. I have continually gone out of my way for you. I have risked my career and my life for you. Damn it Steve, I snuck into North Korea for you. I almost got killed for you. Yet, you don't trust me. What do I have to do for you to trust me?" She was upset and disappointed

"Cath" Steve reached for her hand

She pulled away "If you don't trust me with Danny, how can you trust me with the three thousand sailors that I work with each day? I need you to trust me" she insisted

"Everyone I trust, betrays me eventually. I have trust issues, you know that." He composed himself "You point that out to me often enough" He smirked trying to win her back with his charm

"This is not funny, I know all about your trust issues, but with Danny? Can't you give me more credit than that?" she responded

"I'm sorry. I guess I haven't completely gotten over what happened with Doris" he said again

"Steve, I told you, I made a promise. Yes, I should have told you. I regret the whole thing, but in all fairness to me, I thought I was protecting you." Catherine became defensive

"I don't need your protection, I need you to be honest and straight with me" he protested

"I witnessed her torture a man! I was scared, ok!" the words poured out of her mouth, she did not want to reveal her true motive, she was simply scared.

Steve was startled by her revelation. Catherine was not one to admit her vulnerabilities. He had seen a glimpse of this when she apologized for keeping Doris' secret, but today's revelation seemed epiphanal.

"I understand" he lowered his tone and moved closer to her "I said I forgive you, I'm sorry I didn't give you the benefit of the doubt. I do trust you, Cath, I was stupid, and I overreacted"

"Steve, I am so sorry that I lied to you, but I need to know that you trust me all the time. Not just when you need to trust me. I can't have you assaulting every guy I talk to or doubting where I am when I am not with you. I can't have you doubting everything I say to you. It doesn't work that way" she pleaded

"In all fairness, you were half naked" he couldn't help but defend his actions

"Half naked? I was wearing a shirt that was longer than most of my dresses" she defended herself

"But it was Danny's shirt" he responded back

"Because that klutz spilled juice all over my dress" she retorted

"I'm sorry" he said again

"You don't get it. You keep saying that you are sorry, but that is not what I need to hear" she didn't want to be so needy. Forcing a proclamation out of him was not her intention, but she needed to know if he was capable of it.

He turned his back to her, looking out at the horizon; he whispered "I love you"

"What? I can't hear you" she heard him perfectly fine, but needed him to say it directly to her

"I said, I love you, Ok? Are you happy now?" he shouted as he turned to face her

"Wow! That was just … wow. You know, forget about it. I am the one who is sorry. I am sorry for ever believing that you had it in you to allow anyone to get close to you. Good bye Steven" she stormed off to where her car was parked

Steve stood for a second until what he said and how he said it had registered "I am such an idiot" he thought to himself

"Cath! Wait!" he ran after her

Grabbing her arm and pinning her to her car, he leaned into her and with a sudden movement kissed her. "I love you"

He glared into her eyes. "You know…, someone once told me that you and I were the real deal and that I better not mess it up. I was reminded again today, well, I did mess it up, and I am trying to fix it. I am truly sorry. I love you. I really do love you. I have for a very long time; it's just difficult for me to admit it. I'm scared that I am going to mess things up, but I will keep saying it until you believe me."

Catherine tried to back away, but his grip was too tight "Steve, you don't have to" as the tears began to flood her eyes

" I love you. I was jealous and stupid and I love you. I need you in my life, because I love you. Please forgive me… because I love you" he continued, not allowing her to get a word in, until she placed her finger on his lips.

She couldn't help but smile at his relentless proclamations, "I love you too and I am sorry for going behind your back, I will never do that again" she reached her hand and grabbing the nape of his neck leaned in and kissed him passionately.

Steve never questioned his trust when it came to Danny and Catherine again. At that moment he knew that these were the two most important people in his life and they always will be. Danny's reaffirmation of his deceased friend's words brought it closer to reality. Once his thoughts cleared and after careful deliberation, he realized how foolish his accusations were. He trusted Danny with his life and Catherine has proven herself time after time, without ever expecting anything in return. Sure they played this little game of "you will owe me", but he knew deep down in his heart that they loved him and he loved them in return; in reality, he trusted them with all his heart.

The End

**_So, what do you all think? Did Steve and Cath handle things properly. Did either of them give in too easily? Or does true love always win?_**


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